Sand screening ash tray



April 21, 1964 M. H. WICKLIFF 3,129,710

SAND SCREENING ASH TRAY Filed April 15, 1961 United States Patent SAND SREENING ASH TRAY Maurice H. Wicklitf, 722 Killian Drive, Beech Grove 3, End.

Filed Apr. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 102,768 4 Claims. (Cl. 131-235) This invention relates to household articles and appliances utilized for the pleasure, convenience and comfort of mankind in the process of daily living, and is concerned especially with articles for use by smokers including receptacles for lighted cigarettes, cigars and the like and which articles are important from a viewpoint of safety.

The invention relates particularly to ash trays which contain an additional substance such as sand or other granular matter of a character which will smother and extinguish the fires of lighted cigarettes, cigars, and the like, and from which granular matter cigarette and cigar butts and other discarded substances can be readily removed and relighted and smoked with the obnoxious odors reduced or eliminated.

Smokers accessories of various kinds have been produced including ash trays and other receptacles for discarded cigarette butts, cigar butts, burnt matches and the like, and it has been customary to place some of these articles upon a desk, a table, the arm of a settee, chair, or the like, while other of such ash trays have been mounted on pedestals and other supports. Devices of this kind have been used in hallways, in public buildings, in front of elevators, and the like, and many such devices have contained sand in which the lighted smokes could be insorted and extinguished.

Some of the devices heretofore produced have been subject to criticism as unattractive in appearance, awkward and hard to handle and use, and difiicult to keep clean and sanitary, and they have failed to eliminate odors but were substantial liabilities due to inadequacies of the same in one way or another.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the difiiculties enumerated and to provide a simple, attractive, inexpensive, combination ash tray and odor reducer, for containing a granular substance, such as sand, in which a burning cigarette or cigar can be thrust and the air excluded so that not only will the fire be extinguished but the undesirable odor will be reduced, if not eliminated, and thereafter, if desired, the unsmoked portion of the cigar or cigarette can be relighted and smoked with the taste substantially the same as when the article was originally lighted.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ash receiver with sand other other granular material contained therein and with a screen or strainer, and a valve which can be opened to allow the sand to flow by gravity through the screen leaving the debris including the butts of cigarettes, cigars, and the like, in the empty receiver so that they may be readily discarded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for holding a granular substance such as sand or the like therein, and in the granular substance in which receptacle lighted cigarettes, cigars and the like can be thrust and extinguished, such receptacle having compartments one above the other with a closure for the bottom of the lower compartment and which compartments can be alternately used with a screen between them and a valve so that when the upper compartment is sufficiently filled the valve may be opened to allow the granular material to gravitate through the screen into the lower compartment and thereafter the valve may be closed and cigarette and cigar butts and other trash can be discarded and the device inverted and the closure removed and placed upon the bottom of the lower compartment, to form a closed container to receive the sand after the upper compartment has been used.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one application of the invention;

FIG. 2, a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a vertical section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a fragmentary detailed section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5, a fragmentary section of a modified form of retaining means for a cover or base plate for the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6, a further modified construction and including a bean bag for resting on the arm of a settee or the like.

Briefly stated, the invention is a receptacle with upper and lower compartments in the upper of which is contained a granular material such as sand, intended to receive discarded cigarettes and cigars, burnt matches and other trash, and also to have a lighted smoke thrust into the sand for extinguishing the same in such a way in a manner hat there it little if any undesriable taste or odor. Between the compartments are located a screen and a valve which can be opened to allow the sand to gravitate into the lower compartment leaving the trash in the upper compartment so that it can be discarded. A closure is provided for the bottom of which ever compartment is the lower in order that when the sand is allowed to gravitate into such lower compartment, the receptacle can be inverted, in order that the lower compartment may then be used with the sand therein as the compartment for the lighted cigarettes, cigars and the like.

With continued reference to the drawings, the ash tray of the present invention comprises a pair of receptacles or containers 10 in opposed or hourglass relation for use one above the other. In FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the receptacles terminate in sleeves 11 of reduced size and are connected by a cylinder 12.

At each end of the cylinder 12 is mounted a transverse dished screen 13 having a cylindrical flange or skirt extending axially of the screen substantially to the lowermost portion thereof and of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the cylinder 12. Between the screens is located a generally fiat planar valve 14 having a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the sleeve 12 and attached in any desired manner, as by screws 15, to a valve shaft 16 received in openings 17 and 18 in the cylinder 12. The valve shaft 16 is provided with a suitable operating end portion or handle 19 which may be flat or of other desired configuration. The cylinder 12 is of a length greater than the diameter of the valve 14 to permit full rotation of such valve when desired.

When the valve 14 is across, or at right angles to, the cylinder 12, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a closed frusto-conical container will be provided open only at its top in which sand or other desired granular material may be contained, in an amount, for example, as indicated in the dot-dash line 20.

In order to provide a closure for the lower compartment, a cover forming base 21 is provided having a rounded periphery or rim 22. An O-ring 23 may be pro vided for facilitating the fastening of the cover forming base 21 to the end of one of the containers 10, such end being received within the rim 22 against the gasket 23 and providing a closed receptacle.

Sand in the upper compartment may be allowed to gravitate through the strainer 13 when the valve 14 is turned to a position parallel to the axis of the cylinder 3 12. In order that the valve may be stopped in transverse closed position as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a detent or projection may be provided in the location indicated at 24- in P16. 4 to limit the rotation of the valve member in both directions.

Instead of the cover forming base 21 being attached by means of an O-ring in the rim 22, the cover may have spaced spring clips 25 as shown in FIG. 6, by means of which it may readily be snapped onto the outer end of either of the frustro-conical containers lit and form a bottom closure for such container when in lower position.

With the construction described, the device may be placed on a fiat supporting surface such as a desk, table or the lflte, and one end can be used until it is desired to discard the cigarette or cigar butts and the like, Whereupon the valve can be opened to allow the sand to gravitate into the lower receptacle and the valve can then be closed and the waste cigar and cigarette butts discarded, thereafter the device can be inverted, the base cover 21 which has been at the bottom becomes the top and is re moved and attached to the tapering container and the device placed on a support ready to be used again.

In this manner the containers are used alternately with the sand retained and the cigarette and cigar butts discarded. An important feature of the invention is the fact that a freshly lighted smoke can be inserted into the sand and the fire extinguished and such smoke later can be removed from and sand and relighted devoid of the disagreeable taste or odor.

if desired, a bean bag 26 as shown in FIG. 6, may be attached to the base 21 to facilitate the device being placed and caused to rest upon the arm 27 of a settee or other object or article of furniture.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a relatively simple, inexpensive, useful, attractive and practical article is provided in which sand may be contained and into which sand the lighted end of a cigarette, cigar or the like can be thrust and extinguished and later such smoke can be removed and relighted and due to the sand arrangement the disagreeable taste will be left behind.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and, therefore, the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ash tray comprising upper and lower receptacles having open ends, one end of each receptacle terminating in a relatively small cylindrical sleeve, an additional sleeve having the opposed ends thereof disposed within said small sleeves and connecting said receptacles and providing communication therebetween, a pair of circular screens each having positioning means thereon and disposed transversely of said sleeves, said screens being located at opposite ends of said additional sleeve and each screen having a dished portion extending inwardly toward said additional sleeve so as to be substantially coplanar with the ends of said positioning means, a substantially flat planar valve member rotatably mounted within said additional sleeve and between said screens, said valve member being of a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of said additional sleeve, said additional sleeve being of a length slightly longer than the diameter of said valve member, an operating handle for said valve member projecting radially outwardly from said additional sleeve, a cover removably mounted on the lower receptacle and providing a base for supporting the ash tray, and granular material disposed within the upper container when the valve member is disposed generally normal to the axis of said additional sleeve, whereby when the valve member is rotated to a position other than generally normal to the axis of said sleeve the granular material will gravitate through said screens and said additional sleeve into the lower receptacle and debris will be filtered out by said screens.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said positioning means includes a tubular skirt of a length substantially equal to the dished portion of said screen.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said upper and lower receptacles are of generally frusto-conical configuration with the small ends thereof connected to the opposite ends of said additional sleeve.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which the operating handle terminates inwardly of an imaginary line drawn between the large ends of said upper and lower receptacles and substantially parallel to said sleeve axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 372,090 Shaw Oct. 25, 1887 1,184,881 Schumacher May 30, 1916 1,588,043 Mower June 8, 1926 1,993,069 McConnell Mar. 5, 1935 2,073,899 Luther Mar. 16, 1937 2,527,461 Snadden Oct. 24, 1950 2,865,379 Fernandez Dec. 23, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,875 Great Britain 1910 202,126 Great Britain Aug. 16, 1923 

1. AN ASH TRAY COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER RECEPTACLES HAVING OPEN ENDS, ONE END OF EACH RECEPTACLE TERMINATING IN A RELATIVELY SMALL CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE, AN ADDITIONAL SLEEVE HAVING THE OPPOSED ENDS THEREOF DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SMALL SLEEVES AND CONNECTING SAID RECEPTACLES AND PROVIDING COMMUNICATION THEREBETWEEN, A PAIR OF CIRCULAR SCREENS EACH HAVING POSITIONING MEANS THEREON AND DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SLEEVES, SAID SCREENS BEING LOCATED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID ADDITIONAL SLEEVE AND EACH SCREEN HAVING A DISHED PORTION EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD SAID ADDITIONAL SLEEVE SO AS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH THE ENDS OF SAID POSITIONING MEANS, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PLANAR VALVE MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID ADDITIONAL SLEEVE AND BETWEEN SAID SCREENS, SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING OF A DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID ADDITIONAL SLEEVE, SAID ADDITIONAL SLEEVE BEING OF A LENGTH SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID VALVE MEMBER, AN OPERATING HANDLE FOR SAID VALVE MEMBER PROJECTING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID ADDITIONAL SLEEVE, A COVER REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE LOWER RECEPTACLE AND PROVIDING A BASE FOR SUPPORTING THE ASH TRAY, AND GRANULAR MATERIAL DISPOSED WITHIN THE UPPER CONTAINER WHEN THE VALVE MEMBER IS DISPOSED GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID ADDITIONAL SLEEVE, WHEREBY WHEN THE VALVE MEMBER IS ROTATED TO A POSITION OTHER THAN GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SLEEVE THE GRANULAR MATERIAL WILL GRAVITATE THROUGH SAID SCREENS AND SAID ADDITIONAL SLEEVE INTO THE LOWER RECEPTACLE AND DEBRIS WILL BE FILTERED OUT BY SAID SCREENS. 